Squash Season, Part II

I mentioned in a post last week that squash is one of my favorite fall foods, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’m sharing another recipe that features butternut squash. This one can actually use any leftovers from the roast squash recipe that I posted last week.

As I was preparing my Fall Feast, I came across this recipe in Bon Appétit magazine. Because I had already planned to roast butternut squash, and I have plenty of fresh sage in my garden, this seemed like the perfect appetizer to start the evening.

Preheat oven to 425° F. Toss squash, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and sugar in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, tossing occasionally, until squash is golden and tender, 25-30 minutes. Let cool on sheet.

Heat 1.5 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add sage; cook until edges begin to curl and turn dark green, 1–2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer to paper towels to drain. Mix ricotta and lemon zest in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Note: You can prepare the butternut squash, sage leaves, and ricotta up to 1 day ahead. Cover and chill squash. Store sage airtight at room temperature. Cover and chill ricotta mixture. Bring squash to room temperature before serving.

Spread 1 tablespoon of ricotta mixture on each baguette slice. Top each with a few squash cubes. Drizzle crostini with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each crostini with two fried sage leaves.